House Committee Reportedly Will Consider 5-Year DNC Funding

The House Energy & Commerce Committee will consider a bill that would fund the Federal Trade Commission's national no-call registry at a markup scheduled for Wednesday, industry and government sources said today.

The bill would provide funding for the FTC's national do-not-call list for five years, sources said. An official announcement of the committee meeting is expected later today.

FTC officials have requested $16 million from Congress to fund the launch of the national DNC registry, which the agency plans to repay via the collection of fees from telemarketers for access to the list. The FTC has said it needs Congress to approve the funding by the end of January to begin the list on schedule at the end of this year.

Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-LA, who chairs the committee, initially had indicated he might oppose the funding and possibly delay the launch of the list until 2004. Tauzin later affirmed his support for funding and launching the list this year.

The committee also had voiced doubts about giving long-term funding to a project that never had been attempted on a national scale, with some members suggesting that a one- or two-year trial might be appropriate instead.